The Phantom's Opera: A Cu'Callain Case
by Storytellers Inc
Summary: AuthoressExtraordinaire - A young detective from America is called to France to investigate and find the truth of whether or not the Phantom of the Opera is still alive (Set after 4 or 5 years after the fire. 1875) old foes return and ghosts of the past reappear. ErikxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

**Hi everyone! It's the AuthoressExtraordinaire and this is the first fanfiction I ever wrote and it's going to be the first that I post so I hope you all like it because I had fun writing it and I have plenty more fanfictions not just for Phantom but also Labyrinth, Avengers, Cirque du Freak and I'm also planning on doing a Doctor Who and Thor crossover, so keep an eye out and I would love to hear what you have to say. Whether it's encouragement or constructive criticism it doesn't matter and if you want to suggest anything, I'm all ears… or eyes since I'd be reading it. Hope you enjoy!**

Baltimore 1875

In the night, a pair of heavy boots crash down upon the rain drenched cobblestone street. The owner of the boots is running, but from who? Or is it after whom? The boots come to a warehouse and run to the wall by the door and lean back against it. From within the folds of its hooded long coat, the figure brings forth two guns, ready and loaded. Two other figures came alongside the first; the first figure pulled a hat from the folds of its coat.

"Jacque, Giovanni! What the hell took you two so long? And damn it! Where's Anderson, Kinnian and the Boss?" the young woman said as she pulled off her hood and replaced it with the hat she had taken from out of her coat.

"Aggh, would you please keep your whispering shouts to a minimum." Jacque said, his voice still retaining a slight French accent.

"They said they would be waiting with the wagon ready to chase just if these men get away." "Kind of like dey did in de last city dey were in, eh." Giovanni said with a smirk. These two out of all the men not only on the Baltimore Detective Unit, but of the whole detective agency in general, could still make a joke out of the job they were doing and still get it done better than anyone else.

Jacque wore a bowler hat, always, on his head of tight, curly brown hair and was a very tall, lean fellow. Giovanni was a broad-shouldered man with tan skin and black hair. They all were in the prime of their lives and their careers.

"Always with the jokes, but now we've no time! Where did the Boss and the rest of them say they would be?" Still leaning against the building, the woman looked at the surrounding buildings. Warehouses, homes and alleyways, "Anderson said he'd be waiting in de alley, there with several officers. And Kinnian is on the other side of de warehouse in an alley there and the Boss is not far from us, each with several officers with dem." Giovanni told her, pointing out the first and last alleys.

"May I be so bold as to ask what the situation is with our devious little friends in this warehouse?" Jacque asked,

"Yes Miro, please explain." Giovanni encouraged standing farthest away from her along the wall.

"Very well, you have to know this anyway," Miro began, "First of all they've only got one hostage and two, that several people have been killed in the whole process and we don't need anymore citizens being killed. There, and are we now ready to begin this apprehension?" They nodded and pulled out their own guns, ready to enter the warehouse. Miro gave a signal and all stood in front of the closed door.

Giovanni kicked it in and the three of them rushed in. the banker they had kidnapped from the bank they had robbed was sitting, bound up in rope with a rag in his mouth, in the center. The four primary targets each took a bag of money and ran off in different directions further into the warehouse, but there was a shot fired and one of the four fell, face first to the ground and the man who fired the shot took that man's bag of money and fled. Jacque turned the man over, there was a bullet wound in the middle of his forehead. The banker promptly fainted, Jacque ran after the man who went left down the aisle the crates made, Giovanni went after the center man and Miro went after the man on the right. As they ran, they could practically taste the air; it tasted of the river water. All the warehouses were placed on the river-front and the river lead out to the harbor and then the sea few hours away.

They finally apprehended the criminals, themselves unscathed, and led them back out to where Anderson waited with the police wagon. Finally they watched the wagon roll away with the criminals, another with the banker, who was awake by that time and wore a blanket on his shoulders. And the third wagon with the body of the fourth criminal. The Boss, Anderson, Kinnian, Jacque, Giovanni and Miro all stood around,

"Good work, you all did a great job tonight." Boss said congratulating his sweat soaked team of investigators.

"Hey Boss, does 'tis mean you're goin' ta buy us all a drink?" Kinnian asked, smiling mischievously and brightly. That red haired, brown eyed, masculine looking Irish American could not only make you laugh, but take you down in an instant.

"No, it's too late for that, or should I say too early. It's already close to one in the morning." He said checking his pocket watch. "You all should go home and get some rest so you can all enjoy this nice June weather we've been having. And besides, by six in the morning, warehouse square here, is going to become East Baltimore's biggest fish market."

They all groaned knowingly and they all started to head off together. First stop was Jacque's home, next was Kinnian's, the Boss' place, Giovanni's, Anderson's and finally Miro was home. Her home was a two-story building with a flat roof with garden, a backyard and stable, and a basement. Miro willed her tired body to go up stairs and change out of her attire and ready herself for bed. That night she entered a peaceful sleep knowing she had done her job well.

There was silence for the rest of that night and through into the morning till she awoke at eight-thirty. She finally was totally ready for the day by nine. She was wearing a pair of tan overalls with a white shirt underneath with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow and brown boots. She was walking across the threshold to the lounge when she heard a knock on the door. Going to the door she opened and found her friend Clarice standing on the step.

"Good morning Miro. I heard you finished that case you and the boys were working on over the past few days."

"Yeah we did. Come on in Clarice." Still beaming, Clarice stepped in and walked into the lounge. "You know what, I think I'll tell you about it in the kitchen," Miro said as she stood in the middle of the room.

"Why?" Clarice asked tilting her head of light brown, wavy locks, in a high ponytail and to top it off she wore a formal sunhat with a ribbon and several flowers to match her quarter sleeved dress. It was a spring green dress that brought out the color of her eyes.

"Because I haven't eaten yet and you look like you could use lemonade," Miro answered her.

"Did I come at a bad time?" I'm so sorry." Miro simply shook her head, "It's alright Clarice. Besides I enjoy having someone around here, and you know I don't mind you coming in at any time of day. Because having someone like you around keeps me on my toes." They laughed as they walked out of the other door of the lounge that lead into the dining room and another door off to the side there that lead to the kitchen.

They sat for three hours or so, the first hour of the conversation consisted of Miro telling Clarice the tale of the case of the night before and the other two consisted of other past cases when she was called away to other countries because of her skill.

"I always liked the case when you went to India and that one case where you went to Egypt." Clarice said, and then she looked at the clock against the wall, "Oh dear, I'm supposed to meet up with some friends for lunch!"

"Well then," Miro began with a giggle, "you might want to be on your way I guess. Anyway, I'm going to see Ernesto and Maria."

"I wish I could go with you. It's been awhile since I last saw them. How's Vincenzo doing?" Vincenzo was Ernesto and Maria's young son. He was often sick but every illness he had went away quickly, but that wasn't the only thing wrong with him. His foot grew rather oddly and he used crutches a lot of the time, but with everyone's support including everyone at the police station, Miro herself included, and the medication he was getting was helping. Within eleven months he would be running up and down the streets of East Baltimore.

"You know Clarice; he's been doing really well." "Sweet relief, that's wonderful!" they both stepped outside Miro's home and she locked the door.

"See ya Clarice!" Miro said walking left down the street as she watched her friend go right. "Bye!" she yelled as she turned around to wave at Miro.

**A.N: If I don't post anything for awhile, I ask that you be patient with me because I've got a lot of stuff at school to do and I usually don't get home till late. And if you want to strangle me because you want to know what happens next, I understand totally. But dearest reader I will try my hardest to give you what you ask. Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A.N. AuthoressExtraordinaire – another chapter just for all of you, dearest readers. I would like to thank those of you who have told me that you can't wait to read more. So here it is! And tell me how you like it.**_

After a minute or so, Miro came to where the street sloped downward and the road lined with orange tan, brick houses, began to narrow. She stopped at the house where the slope ended. Miro knocked on the door and quickly pulled her bronze ponytail behind her and brought her cap lower upon her head. Ernesto and Maria's young daughter, Minetta, answered the door. "Hello," "yes," Miro began, making her voice sound gruff even though, plain as day, Minetta could see it was Miro. "Are your mother and father home?" Miro tried to suppress the smirk that was creeping it way onto her face. Minetta just hugged her leg, "You can't fool me Ms. Miro!" Minetta said with a giggle. Miro whipped off her cap and stretched her arms out at her sides and looked down at Minetta, smiling. "How'd you know it was me?" "Cause you look like a woman." Miro laughed and picked the girl up and entered the house, "Vincenzo, Francesca, Luigi! Look who's here!" Minetta exclaimed, Miro laughed as she was met by the other three children. Francesca was ten, Luigi was nine, Vincenzo was seven and Minetta was six.

All the children enveloped Miro in one big hug, hearing all the commotion their mother stepped out of the kitchen into the main room. "Miro! It's so good to see you." "And you too Maria. Is Ernesto working?" Miro asked, "Yes. They had gotten more wood for furniture at the emporium. Someone order a big table." She said with the usual amount of hand gestures Italians like to use while talking, Miro always called it the 'talking hands'. It was often amusing to Miro if she aggravated Giovanni enough and he would begin to yell at her and his hands would sometimes move faster than his mouth and his curses, that were often a jumbled mix of Italian and English. And instead of feeling bad that she had driven him to the point where he did contemplate strangling her, the hand gestures would prove it, she would be on the floor laughing and then running to hide behind some innocent bystander till he came to tickle her till she couldn't breathe correctly.

"Mama is making pepperoni and mozzarella sandwiches!" Vincenzo said beaming.

"Maria, I was wondering," Miro began, following the children's mother into the kitchen, the kids followed too, wondering what exactly what Miro was going to ask. "If after lunch I could take the kids out to that hill with the big tree not too far from here?"

"After lunch Luigi and I are going to play with some kids, at the park in the square." Francesca piped up, Luigi nodded in agreement. Maria looked at Miro, who was holding Minetta and then at Vincenzo who stood close to Miro with his hand crutches. "Well, I guess it's just you and the youngest ones now." Maria said with a smile, the two children cheered.

"Will you be joining us for lunch then?" She asked, "Maria. I would not pass up your cooking even if it meant I could have whatever I'd wish for." Miro replied with a chuckle and Maria laughed a bit as well as she put together the last of the sandwiches and set them down on the table. They said their meal prayer and each person grabbed a sandwich.

Afterward they headed out. Miro and the younger ones sat on the hill and watched the clouds, guessing the shapes they made for half an hour.

Miro saw a thunderstorm coming from the North about ten miles away and you could just vaguely hear the thunder.

"Come on you two. I'd best be getting you home before it rains. That and I have to meet someone at the train station."

"Who?" Vincenzo asked as they walked back. "Don't you remember him Vincenzo? He gave you that carved eagle you're wearing around your neck." Miro laughed a bit as she spoke, "You mean Chief is coming to visit you?" Minetta asked, smiling as she tugged on Miro's arm, "Yes, indeed he is. Said something about a dream in his last letter to me about a life changing chain of events that would happen to me." Miro said looking down at both of them.

"It's probably going to be an adventure!" Vincenzo said, speeding up on his crutches.

"Chief also said that fate was going to test me again or something of that sort, and said it may be difficult." They were standing in front of the house and Maria was in the doorway smiling. "We know you'll pass the test." Minetta smiled at her and gave Miro a hug, Vincenzo did so as well and both children went quickly up the steps.

"Thank you Miro." Maria said, Miro nodded with her hands in her overall pockets. The door closed and Miro turned to look to the North from where the storm was coming. Seeing distant streaks of lightning, Minetta's words were running through her head.

"I hope I do child. And pray I succeed."

_**A.N. – I hope you all enjoyed that and I will hopefully have more chapters and other stories up soon! Thanks for all the responses and hey just a shout out, if any of you are excelling in the art of drawing I would hope some of the scenes in this have inspired you. So if you have a DeviantArt account and you do all kinds of things post something that was inspire by this and let me know cause I would love to see it, but entitle it with this story's name and if the other stories have inspired you do the same! Smiles from me everyone! :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A.N. – Yet another chapter in the story. This is a chapter where we meet some new characters and see more of the old so… Enjoy!**_

The wind blew her hair about, though it still held in a ponytail, behind her. Then she turned from both wind and storm and headed to the train station. 'Should've ridden Antioch today,' she thought of her horse as she traversed by foot and her legs grew tired.

Finally she was there and Chief's train had just arrived, his hair was dark gray and in two separate braids that came down over his shoulders, and his deerskin clothing decorated in different Ho-Chunk tribal designs and deerskin shoes. He turned his darkly tanned face to the sky and saw as it began to gray, he closed his eyes, almost listening to the wind as it blew against his face.

He heard a familiar voice and turned to where it came from; he smiled as Miro came and hugged him. "We'd best get home before it rains Chief," she told him and picked up his bigger deerskin bag. And so they talked as they went, of recent and old events.

Once home, Miro lit the wood in the fireplace, the temperature had dropped because of the wind and the storm, in the lounge and they had some blueberry muffins and lemonade as they sat there as the storm began outside.

Miro was reading aloud Edgar Allan Poe's, _The Cask of Amontillado, _when pounding on the door stopped her in the middle of the story. She went to the door and saw the Boss standing on the step, his hat and long coat drenched.

"Evening Miro." He said as he tipped his hat and came in. "Same to you Boss, but what brings you here?" Miro asked, wondering why he had dragged himself through the rain to talk to her. She then told Chief she would be in her study, and continued the conversation in there.

"We got a message from Paris that they are in need of a skilled detective for a tough case at some opera house. Something about a ghost and the managers wanna make sure nothing like that ever happens again, cause it turns out that there phantom was a flesh and blood man, and the guys who own the opera house wanna make sure he's dead."

"And of course you picked me, not only for skill but also because of my experience with working in foreign places." Miro said as she crossed her arms and leaned against her desk.

"Yes, and I've also told Jacque and he agreed on going and working the case. He'll blend right in and knows the language cause of his parents being from there and all, should some of them not speak English. Though being in an opera house would mean learning several languages but who knows." Boss said as he looked at the world map on the wall next to a map of Baltimore, Miro had several other state maps on a book case right next to both of those maps.

"You know I'll want Chief to come with too," Miro told him. He turned around, "I don't think any of all your foreign cases would be the same without him." Boss said with a smile. Miro sighed and stood up straight,

"When do we leave?" There was a flash of lightning in the window behind the desk as she spoke, "Tomorrow in the afternoon." Then a peal of thunder rang out after Boss had spoken.

When he left Miro told Chief about the case, Miro had an extra suitcase of clothing for him if whether he stayed longer or if they went on a long trip together somewhere far away. Since Chief was already set to leave it was only her who had to pack. She packed all of her clothes, equipment, weapons, disguises and other essentials. Once that was done she and Chief had dinner and then it was time to sleep so she could get an early start so she could say goodbye to every one before she left. This was definitely a good job to have if you wanted to see the world, Miro thought as she drifted off to sleep.

_**A.N. – Okay this chapter may seem a little short, but I'm writing this at 12:40 am. Zzzz.. What! Oh right writing author's note. So the story shall continue our character is going to Paris and there has been some mentioning of the Phantom! ;) **_

_** I shall return!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A.N. – Alright, so here's the next chapter, sorry guys. I've had a lot on my plate this week, so I hope you enjoy!**_

The morning came and went all too quickly when she said her goodbyes to everyone. Everyone she knew was on the dock, waving as she turned to get on the boat, but before she could get on Vincenzo came over on his crutches, quick as he.

He looked up at Miro, beaming, "Oh dear, I know that smile. What on earth are you thinking Vincenzo?"

She smiled as she got down on one knee to speak with him face to face. She was, without a doubt, a tall woman indeed. Though she didn't reach a height taller than her boss, then again, he was exceedingly tall.

"Well I was thinking that we might be able to visit you while you're away." He said, Miro gave Vincenzo a hug, "Thanks kiddo." Then he went back over to his family,

"Ready to leave Mon chere ami ?" Jacque asked as she straightened herself to match his own height, Chief just stood on her right, waiting for them both. She nodded and the three stepped onto the boat and stood by the railing to wave at the people who came to see them off, but Chief just stood there with his hands on the railing and eyes closed, listening to the wind.

"Finally mon ami. You'll get to see the city I was born in."

Jacque said as he smiled at her and still waved.

Miro gave a small laugh, finally the boat set off and the long journey to Paris, France began at last.

_New Faces & Strange People _

In the cellars, deep down beneath the opera house and across a dark, black lake was the home of the Opera Populaire's ghost.

Two men stood within the library, one the Phantom himself and the other, a man others called 'the Daroga'. The Phantom sat in a chair by the fire as his companion though, paced upon the hearth rug.

"Come now Nadir, would you please stop pacing and tell me what it is exactly you came down here for." The Phantom said irritably as he stared at the Persian man through his mask, which covered the majority of his face, except for his jaw and upper lip. The man finally stopped pacing and leaned with his right arm against the mantle, pinching the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes and took a deep breath in and released it.

"Well one thing, I'm surprised you've gotten over the incident with Mms. Daae."

"It's been four years, and I've had that period of time, Nadir. To think upon my actions and now I see them as mere foolishness on my part."

Nadir began to continue, "but the main reason I came down here Erik, is because I have received word from Madame Giry that the managers have sent for a skilled detective from the States to come here and make sure YOU'RE dead for them." Nadir said, standing straight and tall in the middle of the hearth rug. The Phantom gave an outwardly gesture with his hand as he sat in his chair.

"Well, let whoever he is come into Erik's home, but let it be know whomever they are, they will disappear like all the others who have tried to enter Erik's lair." He finished his third-person ramblings.

"Erik. Lets just hope this American isn't as good as the stories I've heard claim."

And with that, the daroga left. The one thing Erik didn't want was the past resurfacing, he had gone to the fullest extent to make everyone thought him dead. And he wanted people to still think that, though he was, very much indeed, alive.

Two Weeks Later 

Erik walked through the secret passage to box five, where he sat and watched the practices for the next opera that was to be performed. It was an opera of all sorts of fairytales and other fables. As they got to practicing 'Hansel and Gretel', one of the managers, Monsieur Andre, came out onto the stage,

"Ladies and gentlemen, Monsieur Reyer please stop the music!" Monsieur Reyer did so. Madame Giry and everyone on the stage looked at Andre intently.

"I have stopped practice to announce that the detective we sent for from the United States is here."

Everyone looked at each other on the stage. The Phantom just sat there as if nothing Andre said had phased. He just sat there and watched their expressions.

Then movement from far off on the left side of the stage and Firmin's voice, made all eyes, including the Phantom's, turn to that direction.

"And this, is the stage." Firmin said with an outward gesture of his arm as he walked to where Andre stood in the center of the stage. Behind him came the three new figures to the opera house.

The first was a rather tall man, only an inch shorter than the Phantom himself.

The next was an old man, wearing foreign clothing and the third figure wore a wide brimmed fedora, hiding most of his features from the opera ghost, who wore one similar. The third figure also had a dark long coat, which billowed behind him as he walked to where Andre and Firmin stood. Both articles were a dark brown, almost black even.

"Ladies and Gentlemen I am glad to introduce, Detective Cu'Cullain and associate Detective Montague, along with their companion Chief Bearpaw." Andre gave a look at Firmin then looked to the Chief, who curtly nodded.

The first detective put his fingers to the brim of his hat and gave a single nod. The second stuck his hands in his pockets and gave a single nod as well.

Erik could not see their faces because they were facing the opera cast, who, in turn were facing out to the seats. Yet everyone stared at the first detective with a rather surprised and slightly amazed look upon all their features, including Madame Giry, who had kept a solemn face till that point.

When Erik followed the three new temporary inhabitants of opera as Andre and Firmin showed them where they would stay and work, he realized that the three Americans had been given the old Prima Donna room, and Erik watched the scene unfold before him.

"So you say Monsieurs that this is the room so very spoken of in our case file?" the second detective asked, speaking English with a French accent.

"Yes it is. You're American but you seem to be of French origin," Firmin said.

"Indeed, now if you'll excuse us. We need to get settled and if you could get us a large chalkboard? It would help in our investigation." The second detective said.

As the managers and the second detective talked and Chief took a seat in a chair on the far side of the room, the first detective stepped up in front of the large mirror Erik was secretly hiding behind.

Erik noticed that for all the time the detective stood there, he was looking down in an almost contemplative stance. Finally the detective looked Erik directly in the eyes, and his heart stopped.

The so well proclaimed detective, whom even Nadir thought was skilled enough to catch Erik.

Was a woman!

He stared into her horizon blue eyes that seemed to cut right through the glass that was Erik's only defense from being seen.

Her story lay behind those eyes, but he just couldn't read it like he could with everyone else. And yet he had to know, it was his right to know if she was going to be snooping around **his **opera house.

After all, it was still his opera house.

The woman turned at the sound of her name being called by one of the managers,

"Ms. Miroslawa, do you require anything?"

Very odd this American, but to Erik, this person was none the less an intriguing puzzle he was determined to solve. And solve it he would.

"No. but I thank you kindly for your concern." Her American accent rang with every word spoken. She turned her attention back to the mirror.

Erik looked at her face. She had pleasant features which had a tough and yet beautiful tone and her eyes shined when the light shone through the window creating that gleam in them, but her eyes seemed lost and forlorn in description.

She looked the whole mirror over, her eyes usually and unknowingly starring into Erik's eyes.

Once the managers had left the room, the woman still stood there.

Finally taking a deep breath in through her nose and closing her eyes, but then in a swift moment they opened with a sudden realization.

And she leaned closer to the surface of the mirror, taking another deep breath in through her nose. Still standing there, still contemplating. Then she turned and faced her companion, she drew forth a small booklet and a ballpoint pen and wrote something down.

"Jacque, are you wearing cologne?" the young man smiled at her, then turned and walked over to the wall where his cot was and sat down.

"No, why do you ask?"

The woman stepped down away from the mirror.

"Just don't think too much about it I was just wondering" she glanced back at the mirror then walked towards her cot by the large window close to the steps that lead to the mirror. They then began to unpack and by the time they were done Madame Giry and a stagehand entered the room with a chalkboard, who set it off to the side and then Madame Giry dismissed him.

"Bonjour mademoiselle, monsieurs, I am the ballet instructor Madame Giry." She told them, Miroslawa stepped forward and shook her hand, Jacque and the Chief did the same. Madame Giry had first noticed that their clothing was of a slightly different style, Chief's was an extreme for her to see because she had never seen anything like them. Her eyes had nearly popped out of her head when she first saw the man.

She, in all her life, had not ever actually seen when of the people who were the Native Americans or their attire, which was very unique and a style all its own and somewhat beautiful.

_**A.N. – That's all for now folks and now we know our leading lady's full name and if you need to know how it's pronounced, go to Google translate. It's a polish name, which is actual my grandmother's before she came to America and since it was hard to pronounce, went to the English translation. Hope you liked it. Oh, and Mon chere ami = my dear friend. :)**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A.N. – Dearest readers and reviewers or lack there of, I am sorry for only giving you so much but here is more! Enjoy. P.S. sorry for being away from this story for so long, I've had a lot on my plate, but still it's great to have you all here again!**_

Erik watched as everything played out before him, and almost laughed out loud, which would have been a dead give-away of his presence. Antoinette's expression was very amusing, Chief, knowing her bewildered and intrigued expression, looked to Miro. Knowing what Chief meant by that gaze, she spoke to Madame Giry, "Madame, would you mind showing Chief around? And maybe he could explain some things." Giry nodded and she and the Chief were gone from the room, they began to talk up a storm as Giry showed Chief around the opera house.

"Do you think he ever gets tired of explaining his culture to people?" Jacque asked Miro, who was still looking at the door and smiling, "I don't think so." She turned to him, Erik watched as her eyes twinkled with her very genuine smile. "He likes it when people are intrigued, so he can help them learn more. And I'm sure Papa Chief doesn't get tired of it." Erik wondered why she called him papa, they looked nothing alike, but he would learn why sooner or later. And he turned his attention back to the scene at hand. "Jacque, I'm gonna go exploring, see if anything suspicious is going on." Miro said as she went over to the vanity and took the ribbon binding her shoulder length hair, and put it on the vanity, then quickly took her hat off and brushed her golden with patches hair. It looked like a lion's mane and she swiftly put her hat back on and grabbed a smaller, more day wear, jacket instead of her long coat. Putting it on over her blouse and buttoning the first three buttons from the bottom. "I'm going to take a nap. Do you have all your equipment?" Jacque asked from his place, lying on his cot with his bowler hat raised just above his eyes so he could look at her. She turned leaning on the door with a smirk on her face, "Yes I have everything. Do you have to search me to make sure?" She laughed, "I would but my lover back home would not allow." They laughed, and Miro left the room. Erik followed her around in the shadows and passage ways.

Soon she found her way to the auditorium and stage area. Erik watched the American detective, 'oh what was her name again? Oh yes, Miroslawa,' he thought as he watched her walk up the center aisle backwards. She looked all around, at the boxes, orchestra pit, ceiling and the replaced chandelier as she went. Not knowing that someone was coming down the aisle, who wasn't paying attention. The man kept looking at all the dark corners but stopped when his eyes found box Five, then suddenly both people collided.

'Nadir you're a foolish man.' Erik thought as he watched Nadir apologize and stop in the midst of his talking to gape at the person her ran into, who also began her apology.

Nadir finally stopped starring at her and began his apology again, Erik listened and watched closely. "My deepest apologies for bumping into you, mademoiselle." Miroslawa smiled, "No harm done, sir." She put out her hand, "I'm Detective Miroslawa Cu'Cullain, the American they sent for," she said with a small laugh. Nadir brought his hand out ready to grab hers and place a kiss on it in the usual French greeting but she took his hand and shook it. Only surprised a little, he continued and introduced himself, "And I am Nadir Kahn, it is my greatest pleasure to make your acquaintance." Nadir noticed the woman before him had simple but pleasant to look at features, which gave a rugged kind of beauty about her and an air of joy that surrounded her. It made the circumstances in which they had met seem less tense, just then Jacque was being led onto the stage by a girl just five years or so younger than Miro and himself. She was strawberry-blonde with eyes that were a shade of nutmeg. "Oh, hello Nadir, See I knew your companion would be in the auditorium. It's the place that a majority of new people here explore first." The young lady waved at Nadir and had turned to tell Jacque proudly. Jacque looked at the bubbly blonde, then looked out at Nadir, then Miro and then looked back at the bubbly blonde girl.

As Miro and Nadir walked back to the stage, she yelled to Jacque, "So who's your new friend there Jacque?" she laughed and walked onto the stage. "Well do you remember the ballet mistress we met earlier? This is her daughter Meg, Meg Giry." He said gesturing to the girl standing beside him; she curtsied to Miro and Nadir. "My mother sent me to escort you to the dining area for dinner." She said, "Wait a minute, what time is it?" Miro asked. Jacque, Nadir and herself all pulled out their pocket watches, theirs still telling the correct American time and Nadir telling the correct French time. "It's six-thirty," Nadir told them, they adjusted their watches to the other time and then all three followed Meg to the dining area. Over dinner they talked of many things, but Miro had a feeling of eyes upon her through the whole day since they had gotten to the opera house, even when she was alone. She was brought out of her state of deep contemplation by a question Madame Giry asked her, as she sat with Jacque and Nadir on either side of her.

"I'm sorry ma'm can you please repeat the question?" she asked the ballet mistress who sat across from her at the table. "I asked if there are any other women detectives in America and also I asked about what inspired you to become a detective." Madame Giry said with a warm smile. Miro's face went from questioning to solemn, "Well, what I know of I think I'm the only one but that's probably because of the fact that I really had to fight for it but, um. Well, um, it would not really be polite nor proper to speak of what had driven me to become a detective while, um, eating. I believe now is the perfect time for me to excuse myself, and if anyone should need me I'll be up on the roof." She said getting up from her seat and silently left the dining area. The others at the table glanced at both Jacque and Chief, who was also there, for answers. "It's a bit of a very touchy and personal matter for her to discuss." Jacque told them, "Yes. For Young Bobcat, not only are there scars on the outside but on her heart as well." Chief said. They all stayed quiet for they knew they would find out later. In time.

_**A.N. – Okay, so just let you know, Young Bobcat is the name Chief calls our leading like she calls him Papa Chief, because… Well you'll learn about that later. Sorry can't do that SPOILERS thing. (If you've watched doctor who you know which character says that a lot). More chapters to come, and you all know what I'm going to say now, PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES AND REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! I am the AuthoressExtraordinaire, it says so at the beginning of all the summaries of all the stories I've posted so do it because I love hearing from the readers!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A.N. – Okay people, so I'm back with a new chapter and here it is because I know you've been waiting so very patiently and I thank you ever so much! Also look up the song Soft Goodbye by Celtic Woman and listen to it at the * point.**_

_On the Roof_

_(Miro's POV)_

I opened the door and rushed out into the fresh, cool, evening air and quickly shut the door behind myself. Memories fogging my vision, I walked over to the parapet and leaned on the stone with my elbows and dug my palms into my eyes. Oh how desperately I wished to rid myself of those memories, they burn forever at the back of my mind but like a beast, they claw themselves into the light from the den in which they lurk. My breathing was growing very deep and rapid, I absolutely had to sit down or I would fall to my knees. Luckily, there was a statue of a Pegasus and I sat down on the edge of the pedestal that it stood upon. I looked up to see the creature's head and front legs raised above me in the air, and so I sat there watching the sky as in the west. The sky was a whole array of colors and to the east the sky darkened as the stars and moon began to show their shy faces once more. Dark and light, I thought to myself.

Again! I felt eyes upon me. I stood and walked back to the parapet. Soon, to ease my nerves, I began to hum a lullaby my matka or mother if you prefer, would sing to us. Then I got to the part in the song where the lyrics began, _* "When the light begins to fade and shadows fall across the sea. One bright in the evening sky, your love's light leads me on my way. There's a dream that will not sleep a burning hope that will not die, so I must go now with the wind and leave you waiting on the tide, time to fly, time to touch the sky. One voice alone a haunting cry, one song, one star burning bright. Let it carry me through darkest night. Rains comes over the gray hills and on the air a soft goodbye, hear the song that I sing to you when the time has come to fly. When I leave and take the wind and find the land that fate will bring, the brightest star in the evening sky is always your love far from me, is always your love far from me!"_

I had let everything go finally, and during the song I had pulled on the long, gold chain that I wore around my neck and held onto the large, heart-shaped locket. The chain reached down to where my diaphragm was located, so I would always keep the locket tucked under my shirt, it held the picture of my brothers on one side and my parents on the other but since the locket was so large it had other little frames in it that were almost like the pages of a book, thankfully though, there was only one frame that had pictures on both sides out of the three like it. On the side facing my brothers there was a picture of an Egyptian man whose name was Ramses, he was once a good friend of mine during my time in Cairo but he was killed during the case I was working on there. And on the other side of the frame was a man whose name was Nicolai, a Russian-American who had been part of my detective unit back in Baltimore who was shot during a case that ended with the culprit boarding a ship to a foreign country. Thinking of all these important people in my life who had passed on before me and before even their own times, made me clutch the locket closer to me. Now it was getting late and so I went back inside, knowing sooner or later that they would want to know my story.

_(End POV) _

_H__idden in Shad__ows, Cl__oaked by Nig__ht_

He hid behind the wings of the ornate statue of the horse and watched the girl from a distance as she had come out onto the roof of the opera house. Erik studied her carefully, something was wrong; she gave off an essence of weakness with every action. He watched as she looked at the sky then stood abruptly back to her feet, at this moment he looked away from her and up at the sky. 'Light and dark,' he thought to himself. He heard music but kept looking at the sky knowing that, unlike all the other people in the world that he had traveled in the earlier part of his life, he would always remain in the dark and never the light. When he looked down again he noticed the woman held something close to her and then ran out the door and off the roof. Erik decided to head back to his lair to finish composing an aria he had been working on, the only thing that truly made him happy in his life was his music.

Or was it?

Miro changed into her nightwear, which consisted of a loose beige shirt and loose brown pants that were cut off just below the knee and tied at the waist. Tomorrow would consist of reviewing all of the already existing evidence and reports filed. But earlier on the rooftop when she had thought of Nicolai again, brought up certain questions that had laid dormant in her mind. Where could that damnable murderer be hiding now? What was he plotting next? Is he even still alive? God only knew the answers to all these questions. Miro went to sleep once her head hit the pillow as those thoughts ran amuck in her dreams for the first hour or so and then finally all was peaceful and continued as such through the rest of the night.

Over the past two weeks of June since Miro, Jacque and Chief had first arrived at the opera house, they got all the stories of the victims of this ghostly series of events except for two.

The Viscount DeChangy and his wife, who was formerly known as Daae before her marriage after the Phantom's rampage, Christine.

They had even gotten a story from the toddler of an Italian woman who calls herself a diva, Carlotta Guidicelli was her name. My goodness, when Miro and Jacque had first met Carlotta to interview her she was just coming back to be a part of the new production, and after the interview she began to sing and Chief came running onto the stage from backstage and looked Miro and asked whether or not someone was strangling a fox, lucky for them Signora Guidicelli had not heard that comment.

_(Miro's POV)_

Today was another ordinary day working a case across the Atlantic, hopefully with the interview this morning it will open more doors in this case. I was standing at the evidence board with my back to the door and Jacque was sitting at the desk that sat right beside the board, Chief had stayed at breakfast because some of the ballerinas finally found the courage to ask about a few of the stories of his culture. Naturally he complied; he absolutely loved telling his tribal stories especially to children. And since he never had any of his own is the reason he was so quick to adopt me. Madame Giry did not mind them staying there to listen as long as they promised to practice harder today and she took the older girls to begin early, many still stayed to hear his tales. Stagehands and actors alike, even that Persian man Nadir stayed and listened when he joined us for breakfast.

A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts of the events earlier this morning. "Enter," I spoke loudly so they could hear my voice through the door, my back still facing toward it. In stepped the Viscount and his wife, in height the Viscount stood an inch shorter than myself and his wife's height reached to the level of his eyes. If you must be precise, I will only give away my height, if it needs to be known I am six foot two. I am tall not only for my age but also my gender. Anyway, I turned and greeted them with a simple handshake as did Jacque and we introduced ourselves to each other, "I am Raoul Viscount DeChangy and this is my wife Christine." I nodded curtly as I shook Christine's hand saying, "I'm Detective Miroslawa Cu'Cullain and this is Detective Jacque Montague." I said gesturing to my partner standing beside me as we both stood in front of the DeChangys. "We'll have the interview in the chapel and if it's alright I would like to speak with you individually, also I think it would be best to start with you Madame DeChangy." I said, she nodded and gently put a hand on her already bulging abdomen. She seemed five maybe six months pregnant, her husband put a protecting and comforting arm around both mother and unborn child. 'It must be a touchy subject for her to talk about still. After all, she was the epicenter of the whole ordeal.' I thought, and then Jacque, Christine and I all went down into the chapel.

_**A.N. – Well I hope you all liked that one and yes I did make Christine pregnant, and the next chapter will be up soon. Happy Father's Day, spend time with them and enjoy your week if you don't see anything for this story during the week but if you don't see anything for these stories check out some of my other stories if you haven't.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A.N. – Okay, so I'm back with chapter seven so I will not waste anymore of your time and give it to you! =)**_

Miro and Christine sat on the window sill of the stain glass window in the chapel. Jacque leaned on the wall behind Miro with a sketchbook, paper and pencil in hand. "Being the woman I am, I first want to congratulate you Madame DeChagny," Miro said with a small, giddy smile gracing her lips.

"Thank you, this is our first child and Raoul was overjoyed when I told him." Christine said with a happy smile, "So have you come up with any names at all?" Miro asked, still beaming. "Ugh, women," Jacque mumbled.

"Excuse him ma'm, he just doesn't have the patience when I try to strike up a lovely conversation before asking questions." Miro rolled her eyes as Jacque grumbled some more. Christine laughed a bit, "Well if it's a girl, we've chosen the name Vivian and if it's a boy his name will be Gustave." Miro smiled, "What lovely names. Now if you don't mind would you please tell your story of the incidents that occurred then?" Christine sighed and began her story of those events.

When she was finished Jacque put her story in the case file folder and opened his sketchbook. Miro began to ask the Viscountess some other questions, "What did this man look like?" Christine gave a very detailed description of the man who was once her angel. Jacque took in each aspect as he drew. The image was drawn without the legendary mask and when was finished he gave the sketchbook to Miro, she looked at it with great interest, "Madame DeChagny, is this what he looked like?" she asked as she turned the sketchbook so Christine could see the drawing. Her eyes visibly widened and she nodded.

Once the interviewing was over Miro was pinning the stories and image from the case folder onto the cork of the board with tacks. Then there was a knock upon the door, yet again. "Yeah?" Miro called, Jacque opened the door, "Monsieur Nadir has asked us if we want to go with him for lunch." He said, "I like that idea, get Chief and tell Nadir I'll meet you boys in the foyer." Miro told him as she walked to the wardrobe, "Very well Mon ami, meet you there!"

Once he was gone she grabbed a spring green, quarter sleeved jacket and matching skirt. Pulling the jacket on over her white blouse, she tied a frilly, blue satin, fashionable ribbon on under the collar and around her neck. The jacket also had ornate, gold painted buttons. She buttoned the first four from the bottom and put her hair up in a Gibson girl style. Miro grabbed her light brown boots with a slight heel with ivy and blue flowers on them, and with that she set off for the foyer to meet up with the rest of them. She would take some time later that afternoon to explore the secret passageway behind the mirror that both Christine and the case file had spoken of.  
When they finally got to the café Nadir had told them about, it was a pleasant surprise to see Madame Giry and Meg there waiting for them at a table. They took their seats at their table which was close to the window, a waiter came and took their orders and once their orders came they conversed and ate. It was a rectangular table so Miro sat at one end and she sat across from Nadir, who sat next to Madame Giry who sat next Meg all on one side of the table. Next to Miro on her left sat Jacque who was facing Madame Giry and they were speaking of weather politics and the arts, Meg sat facing Chief who was telling her a story.

Miro was wearing her locket over her clothes; Nadir noticed the necklace and complimented her. Miro thanked him with a bashful smile, "May I have a look at it, if you do not mind my asking to do so mademoiselle?" he asked, Miro placed the locket in his hand with the chain still around her neck though it was long enough that she did not have to lean forward at all. He studied the detailed design upon the golden surface and then opened the locket, looking at the images inside. He looked at Miro who was also viewing the small portraits across from him with a smile that did not reach her eyes, "Who are these people in the portraits, if I may be so brave as to ask?" Nadir asked, Miro began to point to each person.

"These are my brothers Angus, Conan and Simion. That's my good friend Ramses who I met in Egypt. This man is Nikolai who worked in our detective unit back in Baltimore. And finally that lovely couple there is my parents, Hanka and Finnian Cu'Cullain." She finished, her eyes were sad but her smile bright. Nadir handed it back to her; she took it with a smile and a sigh. The waiter came over to Miro in quite a hurry with a peculiar note, saying that a man at a table across the room from them said to give it to Miro but of course not calling her by name. Miro took the note, thanked the waiter and dismissed him. She held the note in her hand, staring at the man reading a newspaper, she couldn't see his face. "Well he must have taken an interest in you if he sent the note, so read it aloud!" Meg said, giddy with girlish excitement. Miro opened it and began to read it to the rest of the group.

_Detectives Cu'Cullain and Montague,_

_Sorry to have run off so soon after shooting done that dog and hopping on the boat across the pond, but I had places to go and people to see and being behind bars isn't exactly a advantage to traveling. Surprise, surprise, it's been too long since we've last seen each other, maybe we can catch each other again like last time. Hopefully everything will turn out the same as then. Till next we meet, if we do._

_Sincerely,_

_Claudius Blud_

Miro's face visibly paled, she looked to the table again but the man was gone. "Jacque," she began shakily, "We'll have to reopen that case again." He nodded solemnly; Miro excused herself, paid and headed back to the opera house with caution. Leaving Jacque behind to explain to the others, a figure that had been in the shadows watching headed back a secret way to the depths of the opera house.

_**A.N. – Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you have any questions ask me and also as I always say, please check some of my other stories. Review here, review there and everywhere because I love hearing from you. =)**_


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